


Without Fail (I'll Choose You Every Time)

by Stressedtoimpress



Series: What Is A Soulmate Anyways? [1]
Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Drunken Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, In Vino Veritas, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, fuck society
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26588455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stressedtoimpress/pseuds/Stressedtoimpress
Summary: Henry Stickmin doesn’t have a soulmate.
Relationships: Charles Calvin & Henry Stickmin, Charles Calvin/Henry Stickmin
Series: What Is A Soulmate Anyways? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934506
Comments: 8
Kudos: 249





	Without Fail (I'll Choose You Every Time)

Henry Stickmin doesn’t have a soulmate. Not having a soulmate wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly wasn’t common. He had never met anyone else without one. It didn’t necessarily bother him that much, it was just a fact of life. Well, maybe it bothered him a little. At the very least it didn’t bother him as much as it did when he was younger.

He spent much of his childhood staring at his wrist, hoping a mark would just appear one day, and that maybe the doctors were wrong when they told him he didn’t have a soulmate, but he always knew deep down it wouldn’t happen. His wrists would be bare forever. He would be alone forever.

But he didn’t let it get to him ~~as much~~. Thieves worked better solo anyways. He had spent years perfecting his heist skills, a soulmate would probably throw a wrench in the whole thing.

But he wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t lonely, that he didn’t secretly long for someone to hold at night, someone who gets him, and loves him for who he is. He had spent many of his teenage years pining after his classmates, but they wouldn’t _dare_ to even touch anyone other than their soulmate they had yet to meet, so he kept his distance.

He was going to be alone forever, and he had accepted it.

But then Charles Calvin crashed into his life and upset the status quo.

It all started when he woke up on a helicopter. Galeforce and his guys had nabbed him, they wanted him to take down the Toppat clan. He noticed Galeforce glancing down at his bare wrists and making a kind of uncomfortable face. He would have said no, but the only other option was prison, so he had to suck it up and take that sucker down. He was partnered with Charles, and that’s when it all went to shit.

Charles was friendly, kind, and silly, and they hit it off right away. Not only was he great help on the infiltration, but he was also good company. Charles liked to talk and he liked to listen, they were the perfect pair.

So they didn’t split up. They stayed friends, constantly texting, going to each other for advice, and hanging out outside of work (He continued doing odd jobs for the military, just to stay in their good graces). 

Charles didn’t seem to care about his criminal past, or his lack of a soulmate. They had never discussed the latter, but they didn’t really need to. Charles never looked at him weirdly or dropped some vague pitying comments like everyone else. He just liked him for who he was.

It wasn’t long until Henry found himself falling in love with Charles. He couldn’t help it, how could he _not?_

Being with Charles made his heart race, and made him feel all warm and fuzzy all over. He wanted nothing more than to be with Charles forever, to curl up in his arms until they both fell asleep, to kiss him until he couldn’t think straight.

But he couldn’t. Because Charles had a bright red mark on his wrist vaguely shaped like a star. He was still waiting to meet his soulmate, and Henry wasn’t that. He could never give Charles the love he needed, the love he _deserved._

So he bit his tongue and said nothing. It hurt, not being able to be with Charles, but it hurt even more being apart from him. So that’s how it was going to have to be.

Or, so he thought.

They had just finished a mission, and Henry decided to crash at Charles’ place for the night, because it was easier than dropping him off at home. They decided to celebrate with a few drinks, and that should have been fine, but they had forgotten Charles can’t hold his liquor. It was a little past midnight and they were sitting on Charles’ couch. Henry was feeling a bit buzzed, but he could tell Charles was out of it.

Henry laughed at Charles’ stilted mannerisms. “Wow, you’re really drunk. You should get to bed.”

Charles whined. “Nooooo...I’m not tired.”

Henry shook his head. “Charles, you’re going to hate yourself in the morning. That hangover is going to kill you.”

Charles shuffled forward a bit, and grabbed Henry’s collar. Henry was beginning to feel warm all over, and he couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or _something else._

Charles leaned forward. Henry could feel Charles’ hot breath on his face. “It won't kill me. Not if I’m with you,” Charles breathed quietly.

They stayed like that for a moment, neither saying anything, their eyes locked in a passionate gaze. But it couldn’t last forever. Henry took a shaky breath, his heart racing. “Charles, you need to get off me so you can get to bed.”

Charles inched a bit closer, their faces inches apart. “What if I don’t want to?”

And without thinking, Henry closed the gap and kissed him. And Charles kissed back.

Charles wasn’t holding back, kissing Henry hungrily. Henry was kissing back with just as much passion, if not more. He had never been kissed before, but it felt _amazing_.

This was it. This is what he had wanted for so long. What he had longed for, _yearned_ for. 

But it was wrong.

Henry quickly pulled back with a distressed breath. 

Charles tilted his head to the side a bit. “What’s wrong?”

Henry swallowed nervously. “Um, it’s nothing,” he looked away.

Charles gently reached forward and brushed a piece of hair behind Henry’s ear. “Are you sure? It doesn’t look like nothing.”

Henry sighed. “Yeah, yeah it’s fine. We need to get you to bed.”

“...okay”

Henry stood up and held out a hand, helping Charles up. Hand in hand, they walked to Charles’ room and Henry helped him get tucked into bed. He was still wearing his clothes from that day, but after what just happened Henry didn’t have it in him to help him undress.

He turned to leave, when he heard Charles call out from behind him “stay.”

“...I can't,” he said back, before leaving quickly to crash in the guest room.

___

When Henry woke up the next morning, he wanted to die. He couldn’t believe what had happened last night. He had actually kissed Charles.

He considered bolting out the backdoor to avoid the following conversation, but he didn’t have any way of getting home unless he called an uber, and he didn’t want to risk Charles catching him. Besides, he probably owed Charles a conversation anyways.

Quietly, he slipped out of bed and crept into the kitchen, to see Charles spreading jam on toast. Charles' face lit up when he walked in.

“Ah, Henry! Good morning!” He smiled widely. “Toast?” He held a piece of toast out to his friend. Henry shook his head and sat down at the kitchen table quietly.

Charles shrugged. “Your loss,” he said, taking a bite.

“Man, you were right last night, this is one hell of a hangover,” Charles continued, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

“Oh, so you...remember last night,” Henry muttered.

Charles laughed. ‘Haha, yeah. We should probably talk about it, huh?”

Henry nodded, biting his lip. “I...I’m sorry!” He blurted out.

Charles’ face fell. “For what?”

“Well...I...you were drunk.” He hung his head, not being able to look him in the eye. “And I used that to my advantage to kiss you even though I’m not your soulmate. So I’m sorry. I won't do it again.” He felt his nails digging into his arm as he said that. It hurt, but he wanted what was best for Charles.

“Henry, I _wanted_ to kiss you.”

Henry’s head snapped up. “What?”

Charles set his toast down and walked over to the table, sitting in the chair next to Henry. “I said I wanted to kiss you. Why else do you think I was practically crawling on top of you?”

“W—Wait, why? I’m not—your soulmate is still out there, looking for you! Why...Why would you want me when there’s someone out there perfect for you!” Henry quickly grew more frantic, his voice shaking.

“Henry, Henry,” Charles reached over and grabbed Henry’s hands. It was then that Henry realized his hands were shaking too. Charles’ hands were warm against his, and he felt his face flush. “You _are_ perfect for me.”

“But...But I’m not, your—your soulmate is! I’m not...I can’t be that.” He could feel his eyes begin to sting. Fuck. The last thing he needed now was to cry.

“Henry, as far as I’m concerned, you might as well _be_ my soulmate. I bet my soulmate could never even live up to you. I _love_ you.”

Henry did his best to take a deep breath. “And I love you too,” he finally admitted. “but what if you meet your soulmate. Then what?”

“Well, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I’m not going to stop loving you just because they show up. I doubt I could ever love somebody more than you. Besides, did you know that statistically 40% of people never meet their soulmate?”

Henry couldn’t help it. He burst into tears.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Charles lifted a hand up to Henry’s face, placing it softly on his cheek. “It’s alright,” he whispered, wiping Henry’s tears away with his thumb.

“I love you,” Henry practically whimpered. “I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you…” he repeated like a mantra.

“I love you too,” Charles said back with a smile, pulling Henry into a soft kiss.

They were going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> So context on how the world works
> 
> Soulmates of the same sex have existed since soulmates have, basically forever, so homophobia isn't a thing. However, it's pretty much only acceptable to romantically be with your soulmate. That's not to say that couples that consist of non-soulmates don't exist, obviously, but they're not really socially accepted, so they don't have certain privileges. They can't get married, events meant for couples make you verify that you and your partner are indeed soulmates or they won't let you in, stuff like that. 
> 
> Maybe it's a small homophobia metaphor.
> 
> However, it's normal for people in their thirties to be single parents of adopted kids or kids made with a donor/surrogate, because not everyone finds their soulmate, or they find their soulmate rather late in life, but they still want to have kids.
> 
> So there you go, that's some worldbuilding for you.


End file.
